Fratricide Avoidance

How to avoid 'friendly fire'...

Introduction

Friendly Fire:
"...a casualty circumstance applicable to persons killed in
action or wounded in action mistakenly or accidentally by friendly forces actively engaged with the enemy, who are directing fire at a hostile force or what is thought to be a hostile force."

Gulf War 1991

Iraq invasion 2003

Murphy's Laws of Combat

Rule # 19
Friendly fire - isn't
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History of past fratricide

Records of fratricide date as far back as the late 1400's and have been a constant presence of warfare ever since.

The term 'friendly fire' traces its origins to the 1978 book titled "Friendly Fire"


In more recent times, U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman was one of the most notable victim of fratricide



Pat along with his brother, also an Army Ranger




Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was killed by friendly fire


A well know image from WWII where one bomber accidentally dropped its bombs on top of another plane. All 11 crew members were lost.

Similar terms

Casualty of War - Mostly used to define severe injury to a Soldier

Collateral Damage - Mostly used to define unintended infrastructure damage and accidental civilian deaths while targeting an OBJ

Fragging - the intentional killing of a fellow Soldier (most prevalent in Vietnam)

IFF - Identify Friend or Foe

PID - Positive IDentification

Factors that lead to fratricide

Battlefield density - High numbers of Soldier and equipment in a confined space increase the risk of friendly fire

Lack of clear Commander's Intent - When Soldiers are not clear on their mission, mistakes more readily present themselves

Inadequate radio communications - with adjoining units

Poor Battle Tracking - In a complex and combined battle, a unit must have a Battle Tracker/Liaison Officer (LNO)

Poor Enemy intel - Limited Enemy knowledge of their: composition, disposition and strength confuses the battlefield as does no clear FLOT (Front Line Of Troops)

Terrain/weather effects - Extreme engagement distances make PID difficult, masking terrain features, lack of clear terrain features to use as TRPs (Target Reference Points) and poor visibility increase the chance of fratricide

Flank unit coordination - Units that flank/border each other need to pay particular attention to their R/L limits

Fratricide avoidance - Markings

Markings on both Soldiers and gear help IFF (Identify Friend or Foe).
These include:

• Passive measures

• Active measures

Passive measures like 'glint' tape and other IR markings react to IR spectrum lighting to reflect an image back to the user only visible to NVGs (Night Vision Goggles). This helps units identify themselves and others. Passive measures can be formed to SOP markings to help identify specific units in times of limited visibility. They also include VS-17 panels and illuminous tape.



Active measures include: strobe lights (day/IR), smoke grenades, chem lights (day/IR). These too can be arranged in SOP markings. Use of colored smoke can confirm the correct visual confirmation to separate units (HLZs, CAS etc.).


Passive IR reflective (reacts to IR light source)


Illuminous tape (glow-in-the-dark)


Active marking (day visible strobe and night IR strobe)




Visible/IR chem-lights

Use of smoke as a position marker

Fratricide avoidance - Radio comms

Utilize paragraph 5 (Command & Signal) to ensure all known important frequencies
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Ensure all your units are supported by effective radio communications

Know all the radio frequencies of the units in your AO

Establish radio contact with all units to confirm their intentions

Fratricide avoidance - GCMs (Graphic Control Measures)

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Graphic Control Measures help all units stay informed on other friendly position as well as confirm Enemy position(s)



The basics of GCMs are:

• use of color markers to identify (blue/green/red)

• covers all 3 dimensions (sea, land and air)

• common knowledge of markers meanings

• ***constant updating/reporting from the battle field***

Fratricide avoidance - TRPs

TRPs and other means to identify the battlefield are very useful





The more congested the EA (Engagement Area), the more helpful they become

Fratricide avoidance - Battle Tracking

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Battle tracking:
"During combat, the battle captain may focus specifically on S3 operations. S3s are staff officers who deal with monitoring the battle, planning troop movements and reviewing plans and orders. The battle captain supervises non-commissioned officers in S3, and also helps monitor and track friendly troop movements."

For Arma III players, it is best to have 1 player act as the 'Battle Captain' to oversee ongoing operations. This will help with player/unit locations, unit coordination measures, fire/air support, map updates and logistic.

Fratricide avoidance - IR/visible laser and FLIR use

Laser brevity codes



Handheld IR pointer


Tripod mounted IR pointer


Daytime/green visible marker

FLIR - Forward Looking Infra-Red



NVG vs. thermal image

Fratricide avoidance - Reports

The use of standardized reporting allows for reliable and consistent information exchange. It greatly improves the communication and coordination between military units.

Report SOPs can be made for any sized unit as long as everybody in that unit is familiar with that report format. If not, the SOP can actually become a liability as it will inhibit the correct flow of information.


Standard 9-line MEDEVAC


CAS request

Fratricide avoidance - Battle Drills

A battle drill is a:
"collective action rapidly executed without applying a deliberate decision-making process".

Small unit training is logistically easier to accomplish then combined arms training. It should be done at the platoon and squad level and cover the most typical set of drills that the unit will encounter on the field of battle. Usually, the smallest 'unit' size in war is the platoon, followed by the company. When battalions are used, the majority of synchronization happens at the platoon/company level.

Combined arms training and larger battalion training events are much more complex, costly and infrequent but offer unique cross training abilities for all specialties involved.

Common light infantry/mounted battle drills:

• React to contact

• React to near/far ambush

• Break contact

• Conduct attack/ambush

• Enter/clear a room

• Enter/clear a trench

• Clear a wire mined obstacle

• Conduct mounted operations

Fratricide avoidance - Rehearsals

Rehearse...rehearse...rehearse ! !




Types of rehearsals

***Rehearsals***
The most important & under utilized fratricide prevention practice a unit can conduct

BLIPP-TF

Use the acronym: BLIPP - TF

Battlefield density - Maintain higher control of Soldiers position and weapon control status in a densely populated battlefield

Lack of clear Commander's Intent - Present a clear mission with clear OBJs and ROEs

Inadequate radio communications - All LDRs must have positive radio contact with any and all surrounding elements at all times. At the very least, a higher HQ must be able to quickly and accurately relay messages

Poor Battle Tracking - The overall Commander (combined of air, sea and land) must be carefully tracking all military units and military related items (civilian on the battlefield, NGOs, HN units etc.)

Poor Enemy intel - When an incomplete Enemy intelligence picture is in effect, the Leader must exert extra care and attention to avoid fratricide

Terrain/weather effects - Always evaluate how the terrain and weather could affect you Soldiers on the ground. Pay close attention to the coordination between adjoining units, CAS and indirect fires

Flank unit coordination - Units that share a flank/limit are susceptible to fratricide, especially when conducting patrols (mounted/dismounted), emplacing OP/LPs or conducting counter-attacks

Conclusion

Fratricide, AKA Friendly Fire has been around since the conception of modern warfare.

To avoid this, leaders must have:

• good situational awareness

• positive control of the Soldiers

• precise knowledge of their Soldiers current position(s)

• communication with surrounding units

• use of GCMs as a reference for various units

• use care when employing CAS and indirect fire

• ensure Soldiers have a clear mission, ROE and weapon control status

***Practice...practice...practice***

[Vermin]

I will continue shooting my teammates on "accident" and you won't stop me.

[rye]

There is more to friendly fire avoidance in CQB too, as another layer. Muzzle beyond flesh, on-line rule, shooting lane ownership, et cetera. Good guide though.

[Cap]

I think a Small Unit Tactics or maybe a Scout/Sniper guide would be really neat but I'm open to anything, more education for me.

[Greybeard]

Thanks...any requests ?

[Cap]

Loving these guides dude, keep em coming.